November 14, 2016 — Wargaming, SEGA and Creative Assembly announced today a new strategic partnership that will see Total War: ARENA published worldwide as the first title released by the newly created publishing label, Wargaming Alliance. Wargaming Alliance is dedicated to providing third-party publishers and developers the tools, resources and platform to enter the highly competitive free-to-play gaming market along with access to Wargaming’s substantial subscriber base of over 100 million gamers.
Total War, one of the key pillars of the SEGA business, is one of the most successful and influential strategy franchises of all time, mixing massive battles with deep tactical and strategic elements. Total War: ARENA, developed by Creative Assembly, brings those franchise tenets into the world of free-to-play gaming by blending the series’ trademark strategic experiences with intense 10-vs-10 player battles. Creative Assembly’s expertise, combined with Wargaming’s proven track-record in the free-to-play market, makes Total War: ARENA the perfect fit for Wargaming Alliance.
“SEGA is constantly exploring ways in which its diverse range of IPs can be brought to a wider gaming audience,” said Jurgen Post, President and COO at SEGA Europe. “This strategic partnership with Wargaming, to release Total War: ARENA as the first game on the Wargaming Alliance platform, presents a unique opportunity for Creative Assembly’s eagerly anticipated creation to realize its full potential. Working with Wargaming, a market leader in the free-to-play space, and by utilizing their extensive experience and expertise in this area, SEGA is confident that Total War: ARENA will become the worldwide hit it deserves to be.”
“For more than a decade, the Total War franchise has been the standard-bearer of strategy gaming thanks to its trademark gameplay and a focus on authenticity. The free-to-play market is an exciting new opportunity for the franchise and in the last year we have seen great potential with Total War: ARENA,” said Tim Heaton, Studio Director at Creative Assembly. “The partnership with Wargaming Alliance is a perfect match of proven strategy gaming brands. We are excited to collaborate with the creators of the globally successful World of Tanks in bringing Total War: ARENA to gamers.”
“For the past seven years, Wargaming has worked hard to establish itself as an industry leader in publishing games within the free-to-play area,” said Vladimir Makarychev, Head of Wargaming Alliance. “Through the Wargaming Alliance label we hope to share our knowledge with other companies entering this highly competitive landscape and are extremely excited to partner with SEGA and Creative Assembly to ensure Total War: ARENA is a resounding success.”
Wargaming Alliance gives third-party companies access to the unique expertise and knowledge of the online free-to-play market that Wargaming has amassed over the years, the company’s multimillion loyal player community, and the best practices in free-to-play game promotion and operation. Partners will benefit from a global team of seasoned specialists covering all areas of game publishing from customer support through to marketing and community management. The platform also has a physical presence in all key markets and delivers a unique approach to regional publishing activities, tailored to local audiences.